Category Archives: Pet

This here is the Perfectly Flawed weekly round-up, so if you missed me on Pinterest & Facebook, this is where I’ll be sharing some of that LOVE on Fridays. Enjoy!

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Dinner, Produce Bags & Baby Steps!

Woo Hoo, got my cooking grove back this week! Love Pinterest, so many great recipes being shared. I’ve made Gingery Soba Noodle Soup, Shrimp in coconut sauce over rice, Roasted rep pepper & goat cheese alfredo and last night we made homemade chick pea veggie burgers with a side of Brussel sprout & Swiss chard salad!

Finally purchased our reusable produce and bulk items bags. I bought five of these from Flip & Tumble, I also got 6 of these from Kootsac on Etsy. I can’t wait to get these, another stride towards being plastic free!

I’ve been gathering information on making our own cleaning products. I already use alternative non-toxic products, but they come in plastic so…. Next Tuesday on Natural Living Tips I’m switching from Coconut Oil to Home-made cleaning products and I’ll be discussing them throughout April. It is time for Spring Cleaning after all!

Though I did manage to make home-made toothpaste this week, Gavin’s not thrilled, lol. He’ll get used to it.

Just a reminder to anyone trying to go green or make strides in that direction. The best way is baby steps. I’ve not arrived here quickly or without challenge and I’m still far from where I want to be. Here’s an article, from Almost the Truth,  I read this week about Baby steps and why it’s so important to celebrate every one of them. Please read it.

What Baby steps are you taking?
Peace!

Harry says "chill"!

This is the first of many a weekly round-up, so if you missed me on Pinterest & Facebook, this is where I’ll be sharing some of that LOVE on Fridays. Enjoy!

Kombucha, GMO’s & Jamie Oliver, OH MY!

I’ve been on kinda an Asian cooking kick lately so find some of those recipes here & here.

This week our reusable straws from Strawsome and my Shampoo bars from Chagrin Valley Soaps arrived. All in the name of eliminating plastic. We’re on our way!

I finally began my windowsill sprouts!  I’m on day two, so no sprouts yet but I’m documenting the growth daily. I’m sure it’ll be a future blog post, ha.

A few things on my to make/learn list are 1) butter, home-made using the cream from my neighbor, The Dam Ranch. 2) this amazing looking coconut/vanilla frozen yogurt and how to brew my own Kombucha Tea, buying this stuff is getting pricey!

I called my local senators and representatives for the first time this week. I asked them to please put their name on a letter that was drafted to the FDA to support the labeling of GMO’s. Don’t know what those are or why you should know? Click here & here.

Have you ever checked out Jamie Oliver’s Recipe Yearbooks?  I guess it’s a recap of recipes from throughout the year. I have the 2011/2012 yearbook and love it! (I found it a local Fresh Market Grocery, but can’t seem to locate the new one on-line, only previous years. Feeling lucky to have it at this point!

To wrap it up a new blog I’ve spent more time on this week are 1) Delicious Obsessions (which led me to make this yummy coconut/avocado smoothie) and 2) Cheeseslave.

Carmello wanted to make an apperance:-), my ham!

Peace!

It all began when I was in Middle School, my love of taking pictures.  Once in High School, I was taking photography classes, working in the darkroom, taking pictures for the school newspaper and yearbook.  My dad had the big SLR camera with all the different lenses and I used it more then he did, lol.  It’s just been something I’ve loved to do for as long as I can remember.

I didn’t begin to see it as a career until much later.  In fact it was only four years ago that I knew I wanted to make it more then a serious hobby.  Tanya Sharkey Photography was born on March 1st of 2008.

We opened a studio location on May 1st of 2009 in St. Petersburg, FL where we specialize in modern pet and children portraiture.  Yes, these are two challenging subjects, but I’m a high energy, whirlwind of a personality so it’s fitting.  I’ve also spent most of my working career either working with or volunteering with animals.  I was a Biology major and worked as an assistant to a veterinarian for several years as well as volunteered at a large cat sanctuary in Orlando where we would educate the public about the needs of these wild animals, etc.  So, it’s really a natural fit that my specialty is pet photography.  I love every minute of it!!

Photographs of my family, friends, pets, our travels and experiences together, have always been very important to me. I love to have them on display all over our home for us and others to enjoy always. I have over 12 scrapbooks as well. Preserving these memories for my clients is just as important and it feels so amazing when my clients light up at viewing the images. It’s a feel good all around!

I continue to photograph things for hobby as much as possible to keep my spirits fresh.  I love to photograph flowers. I also take pictures of kitties whenever I’m on vacation. I can’t help it, I’m a cat lady:-).

There are BIG plans for TSP in the coming years, I’m a dreamer you see. Some will pan out and be a huge success and others will sit out. Regardless of what happens, it will be challenging and fun along the way!

Please enjoy some images above from recent sessions.

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Carmello

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a cat lady.  I just love kitties.  I say hello to every one I see and talk to them the way most women talk to babies. We have 8.  I’m not allowed to get any more right now, PFMan is very kind to be ok with the number we have now, but NO MORE, lol!  I thought I should begin introducing you to them one at a time.

This is our newest member of the family, Carmello.  I have a fondness for Orange boys and I had lost my love, Putter, in March of 2009.  A client of mine travels a bit with her husband and helps out stray kitties on her journeys.  She knew I loved and wanted another Orange boy, even though I was at my limit of 7.  Well, needless to say, we now have Carmello.  We adore him and him us.  He has two speeds, seriously playful, attack mode or the LOVE mode.  Especially at night.  He’s a cuddle bug, he slams his head into your head or hand and curls up and licks your arm or face, then falls asleep in a ball all pushed up against your body.  I LOVE it!!

I’ve had so many kitties in my lifetime, come by it honestly growing up with parents who always had kitties too!  They still have 6 of there own.  It always amazes me how incredibly different each and every one are.  So many personalities.  I cant’ wait for you to meet them all.

D.A.R.E. stands for Dachshund Adoption Rescue and Education. They are a non-profit group dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and finding homes for dachshunds in need. I recently photographed a family of three Dachshunds that belong to a volunteer and foster mommy of D.A.R.E. I quickly fell in love with Mimi, Charming and Oscar.

The Three Musketeers, Mimi, Charming and Oscar!

Here’s what Cheryl had to say about her Three Musketeers!

“Oscar is 14. I have had him since he was 8 weeks old. He was meant to be my daughters… but as soon as we set eyes on each other it was love. He has been my best friend ever since. He is always there with unconditional love…come what may. Mimi is 2. She has been with me for a little over a year. The first time I saw Mimi she was being walked by her previous owner. I, of course, went over to make a fuss over her… her owner jokingly asked me if I wanted her… I said yes… and 5 minutes later I walked away with my princess. She is so full of love… and always trying to mother everyone in the house. I call her the Good Will Ambassador because she is always the one to welcome a new foster into the house. She is so amazing. Charming I have had for a little less than a year. He is 3 and I adopted him from DAREtorescue to be a playmate for Mimi who was harassing Oscar (who was not even slightly interested in playing with a pup). I carefully looked through the pictures and bios of available dogs until I finally found the most perfect one….and he is perfect. He is the most loving little man. He fit right into our little family. He has been a playmate for Mimi and someone to snuggle up with Oscar when Mimi has wore him out. He has made me realize that there is always a chance to have a second chance… and that even when you are down… you are not out. Charming was also considered unadoptable by the shelter he was dumped at and D.A.R.E. saved his life and I will forever be thankful that they did. My Charming made me realize that there are so many just like him out there…looking for a little help to find their forever homes….so…I became an extremely proud foster mom. The end. Lol.”

“Right now I have 2 fosters. Frankie who was confiscated from an abusive home and was considered unadoptable… Harley who was dropped off at the vet for a check up and when it came time to pay the bill they decided it was too expensive to care for a dog so the vet was told to put him to sleep. Yesterday my ‘Monday’ was adopted by a family who didn’t care that she was blind and a little overweight still…. they loved her anyway. So now I have an opening… and have already been contacted to see if I was ready for a new foster. It never ends… makes me so sad.”  – Cheryl.

If you’re interested in adopting or fostering a Dachshund please contact D.A.R.E. at info@daretorescue.com.

They are baby making machines. Just one pair of cats and their kittens can produce 420,000 babies in just seven years. So please, unless you want a “clowder” of cats in your home, spay and neuter your furry friends.

Happy Monday to you!

I can’t begin to express the need for this blog to begin. As I go through any given day, there are so many things I find which I want to share with everyone, anyone who it may benefit. I figured I needed another outlet when I realized there is only tolerance on Facebook for a limited number of posts daily. So, I introduce you to my new blog. Yes, it’s a new blog because I currently have a blog, one which has proudly displayed my work as a portrait photographer for several years now. I’m shutting it down and from now on, this new and perfectly Flawed blog will encompass every passion I have in life and share things with all of you. You will find photography, life’s journeys, favorite recipes and restaurants, inspirations, stories and information about the earth and it’s creatures and so much more.

I welcome you all to please share your perfectly flawed life with me.

Thank you and cool beans.